Korean Job Discussion Forums

[People's Front of Judea]

Well, thanks for the vote of confidence Hojucandy and Skinhead. Yeah, I've been reading Dave's forums for quite some time. I finally got off my lazy butt and joined last December. Though you guys don't know me from Adam, I have usually kept up with the helpful and sometimes humorous posts (I believe since 2001) made here by regular members. Thanks for the welcome.

By the way, I like your avatar Hojucandy. Sponge Bob rocks!

[kermo]

[noelinkorea]

There is a rather annoying crossed-eyed middle-aged woman that often stands outside Yonsei University, where I study. She always manages to spot me when I go across the crossing, and yells out while looking at me (well...she faces me, but she's rather crossed eyed, so I could be wrong...). She yells "Jesus Christ, God bless you!" in English. It frustrates me. Today was the worst.

I am totally against throwing your faith into another's face like that - she literally did this today by the way, obstructing my path briefly. I think you should be able to discover your beliefs and religion yourself.

I heard somewhere, that after the US, Korea has the most number of overseas-bound missionaries...again, very annoying.

[People's Front of Judea]

Hello Kermo. Wow. It seems I have a lot of responding to do. I'll try to be more clear.

I agree with the Gospel message about love, being forgiven, and overcoming hate and fear. I also agree it is something best understood through experience and sharing your faith through selfless actions instead of broadcasting a message for others to recognize and immediately agree. Though such behavior can be found in various religious doctrines, I think giving of oneself without asking for anything is a true (at least in my opinion) way to live as a Christian.

You know people who have dedicated themselves to helping lost young people. They spread love and understanding. I agree. I would classify such people as true missionaries of Christ's Word. They give of themselves. Their humble loving example allows people to see how true Christians conduct themselves. It's this appearance of piety of serving others that might attract the admiration from those who feel lost. It is a true Christian's action that might make those without faith ask, "What makes this man or woman tick?" Then, they might ask about their faith. I don't think Hoju Candy or I would throw the truly pious into the same pit as Klansmen. Yet, some missionaries who are hypocritical in the message they give should receive the same derision as those who hate for a living.

Chinua Achebe is only one example of the many cases in which the name of Christianity has been used to unravel the strings of indigenous cultures around the world. This happened during European colonization, American expansionism, and is still happening today. Labels have changed, but the situation remains. I could go off on a tangent and list quite a few specific cases where other cultures on every continent (except Antarctica thus far) either fell apart from the introduction of Chrstianity, incorporated a new belief system, or actually created a new religion distinct from the old indigenous beliefs and Christian concepts. Yet, that would take a bit of time. If your really interested in such topics, send me a PM, and I'll be happy to share sources with you and learn something new from you in the process. Anyway, do you think the atrosities done in the Lord's name actually undo a truly Christian message? I don't. There's good to be found, but a lot of bad exists as well. Maybe it gets more attention than the good works.

You also mentioned there can certainly be positive effects from the adoption of Christianity in order parts of the world. There is truth in this statement and the examples that you gave (ending the murder of twins in Africa and giving impoverished people a chance to succeed in India in the Western sense of economic security as success). Yet, arguing that point delves into the realm of cultural relativity, which is always a helluva long discussion maybe not best suited for this forum. Then again, maybe it is. Anyway, again I offer you to PM me so we could discuss such issues without taking up too much of Dave's bandwidth.

I don't think your point about missionaries is unimportant. This is where I should have been more clear about missionaries. There are some people who go to other countries to help to disadvantaged. By their example of help without the expectation of anything in return, they may attract people who might be interested in learning about and maybe adopting Christian ways and beliefs without coersion. I don't hate these missionaries, because they are not false. They would help someone just because they are human. I do hate those who take advantage of the situation and use coersion (we will give you this if you profess faith in our Lord). What is the opposite implication of such action? If you don't profess our beliefs, we will take the help away. That's selfish. That's requiring reciprocity, which sounds like economics more than belief in a benevolent God.

I absolutely love the fact that you briefly pointed out to me differences between Catholic and Protestant rituals and cosmology. Great work. It's rare that I meet anyone who knows about the shrines and dieties/saints of African diaspora religions in the New World. It's such a small field of study.

I think you misinterpreted my examples (protestants missionizing catholics, etc.) as bashing the protestants in support of the catholics or some other religion. I even thought about this interpretation when I was writing the last post. I should have given an example of catholics doing the same thing (and trust me, there are so many examples, even contemporarily) so it would not seem that I am biased toward any particular version of Christendom. Oh well.

You listed the orishas. It's so cool that you know about them. Did you study about them at uni, or did your father tell you about them from his trips??? I studied the orishas and their saint names equivalents from different sects in the Caribbean (Cuba, Grenada, and Trinidad) as well as the Brazilian version of orishas found in Candomble. Are you familiar with their "loa" equivalents in Haitian Voodoo and New Orleans Hoodoo??? It's interesting stuff, at least for me. I actually wrote 3 directed study papers on the topic back in college. I took some weird classes in my junior and senior year. Don't even get me started on Postmodernism and Metaphysics. Sheessh!

Anyway, I see your point about Protestant concern about inadvertantly creating new diaspora religions as happened under Catholicism within various European colonial cultures. Actually, there is a religion whose parents are Protestant Christianity and indigenous Western African religious beliefs. It's called Alamare if memory serves.

Last point, you seem to believe I don't agree with the beliefs or practices of Protestant missionaries. I do and I don't. If a woman or man conducts themselves as a true missionary, one of love and not coercion, then yes I agree with their beliefs and practices. If a man or woman acts like a jackass in the Lord's name, no I don't agree with their beliefs and practices.

Now, can you figure out if I am Christian or not, or does it really matter for the purpose of this subject?

Anyway, if the catholic or protestant churches in general start serving crab burgers and show Sponge Bob Square Pants movies, I might consider showing up. What I am talking about, of course I'll be there! Those crab burgers are might tasty!

[Alias]

[guangho]

[Gollum]

[People's Front of Judea]

[endofthewor1d]

anyone see that guy who hangs out outside of burger king in itaewon with the guitar singing about jesus? he's a hoot.
i was walking past one day when the little korean lacky he had with him called out my name.
whoa...
then i recognised him as the guy who lived in my neighborhood and regularly tried to get me to go to his church... especially if i ever came down with a terminal illness, because the preacher there could easily cure it.
anyway... this is a nice enough guy, and he knows full well that i don't buy into his crap, so i stopped to talk to him for a bit. i noticed he was carrying a sign which said:

g-e-o-r-g-e 6
w-a-l-k-e-r 6
b-u-s-h-j-r 6

no matter what you may feel about the man, you must admit this sign was a bit of a stretch.
so i told this guy as much, and i asked him why he was carrying such a silly sign. he said that he and the jesus minstrel worked together, and he had asked him to hold up the sign. he looked a little embarrassed by it all. i kind of feel for the guy. i really think his heart is in the right place, but i really think he needs to find a more effective medium of expressing his genuine good will.
i think his best bet would be to stop trying so hard. just being a nice guy and leading a good and honest life is enough.

how many people do you think really have a change of heart when they walk past the jesus minstrel anyway? i'd guess it would be about equal to the number of people who see the warning on a pack of cigarettes and say 'holy crap! these are bad for me!'

[Plume D'ella Plumeria]

I am very seriously contemplating putting a sign on my front door saying something to the effect that religious evangelizers are not welcome. Someone joked about it in an earlier post, but it's something I had been mulling over. I had two sets of callers last Sunday. One set consisted of two women and a baby (was the baby along as cute-bait??). The others were Jehovah's Witnesses. Whenever I see these folks at the door, I always shake my head and tell them no thank you. Then, the one who can speak some English (there alwsys seems to be one in the crowd) invariably asks where I'm from (opening gambit for the upcoming conversion conversation). Whatever you do, never answer that question or any other. You'll just dig yourself in. Don't even give them half a chance to start spouting the lambs-and-flocks pap. I usually just no thank them again and begin closing the door. Sometimes, I scowl to lend credence to my words. I have decided that in the future, I simply will not answer the door to anyone I am not expecting. If they keep pounding and shouting, I'll simply outwait them. I'm very good at waiting. But if this doesn't work, I may yet put up that sign.

Or maybe I should get a religious tract on Buddhism printed up in Korean, whip open the door and slap it into their palms the next time some pal-of-Jesus sort with a toothy grin raps at my door.

Growl.....

[Zenpickle]

[Yaya]

The only time I don't mind when people show their religion is when they actually practice what they preach and help someone. I'm getting into Buddhism and had no idea that it emphasizes compassion for all beings and such. I hear that a Taiwanese Buddhist order run mainly by nuns is at the forefront of the tsunami relief effort, and unlike many religious charities, all they do is do relief work.

[kermo]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[Yu_Bum_suk]